Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Rose/REX (1037476l)
Red Arrows team: Ben Plank, Kirsty Moore, Zane Sennett, Team leader Ben Murphy and Dave Davies.
Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore, the first female Red Arrows pilot, RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, Britain - 12 Nov 2009
A female dare-devil has completed her first week of training with the Red Arrows aerobatic team - becoming the first woman to ever fly with the world famous team. Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore, who is based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, is currently training at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. The 31-year-old will ultimately fly as part of the Red Arrow's 2010-2012 display team, enthralling millions with her exhilarating manoeuvres. Each year, around 30 Royal Air Force fast-jet pilots apply for the prestigious places on the aerobatic team. Flight Lieutenant Moore was not the first female to have applied to join; however, she was the first to make the prestigious 'shortlist' of candidates, and ultimately the first to be selected for the team.

The first woman Red Arrow pilot and her squadron leader are due to marry, after denying they were having an affair when they were hauled before RAF chiefs.

An investigation was started when rumours first surfaced that Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Stewart was seeing Ben Murphy, against RAF rules.

They told bosses the allegations were untrue. But now they have both left the famous aerobatic flying team and are set to marry, suggesting that they may have been having an affair after all.

Ms Stewart, 36, joined the elite squadron, based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, in 2010. Shortly afterwards rumours began circulating that she was dating Mr Murphy, 38.

A source said the team as a whole “became very unhappy and dysfunctional” about the claimed affair, and added: “Knowledge of the allegations went right to the top of the RAF.”

Ms Stewart left the team just after Mr Murphy came to the end of his year with the team. She claimed to have “lost the edge” after the deaths of two colleagues.

Mr Murphy now works for defence and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin while Ms Stewart is still employed by the RAF, but in ground roles.